The man in the purple cloak chuckled as he stepped closer.

"I see you two met my friend," he said with an easy smile.

Zorn glanced at him warily.

"Who are you?"

The man set down his basket carefully, almost ceremoniously. 

"My name is Donal. Don, if you like. Up there in the branches, that's Khor. Though..." He smirked. "I never call him Khor."

Sabrina wrinkled her nose, leaning back slightly. 

"Why? What do you call that brat?"

Donal cracked a wide grin as he folded his arms.

"Plush." The name sounded far too soft for someone with such sharp eyes.

Donal nodded as if the name made perfect sense.

"Found him in a giant flower, known as a Plushflora, last year. He fell from the sky, right into the petals. Said he didn't care for his old name—"

"Not true!" Khor snapped from the branches. "I hate the nickname. Stop calling me that."

A jolt of surprise went through Zorn's mind.

Fell from the sky? That sounds like me! This man might be the first key to the answers I'm looking for.

Donal chuckled, brushing the protest away like an annoying breeze. 

"He's very grateful."

Sabrina and Zorn exchanged a look. Was Donal deliberately ignoring him?

Khor's arms folded tight across his chest.

"I told you. Stop. Calling. Me. Plush!"

"Well, either way," Donal said cheerfully, tapping the basket with the side of his foot. His eyes shifted between Sabrina and Zorn.

"What a curious pair you two make."

Zorn stiffened at the hint of mockery in his tone.

"Funny, I was about to say the same about you and... Plush."

Khor's voice cracked as he flung his arms up. 

"For the love of the gods, STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Sabrina's patience finally snapped. She cut to the chase, her voice sharp.

"Your friend there practically threatened to kill us." 

Donal merely hummed.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Donal looked back at Khor and raised a single brow. All Khor did was sit back against the trunk, arms folded, and give a single, firm shake of his head.

Donal looked back at them.

"He didn't threaten you."

Sabrina's anger flared.

"It takes only that for you to believe him!?"

I can't believe it, Zorn thought, Don actually stopped to listen to Khor for once.

"Did he actually say he would kill you?" Donal's head tilted with a smirk.

She hesitated, her confidence wavering.

"He said all that lies in these woods is death when I know there is a city! He wants to kill us!"

"Holy overthinker..." Donal said, a lazy smile playing on his lips.

A stunned silence fell over the group. 

Sabrina replied, her tone dripping with offense.

"Excuse me?"

"They were heading right," Khor chimed in flatly from his perch.

Donal nodded.

"He was right. There is only death if you keep walking in the direction you were headed."

"Explain," Zorn demanded.

"It's the direction you two wanted to go. Further right, you would have been swallowed up by Di'Vines."

Di'Vines? What the hell is that? Zorn wondered.

"Like divine beings?" he asked, tilting his head.

Donal laughed out loud, a rich, amused sound. Sabrina and Zorn didn't crack a smile. 

There is something seriously wrong with this man and his friend, Zorn thought. 

"Di'Vines are Diligent Vines," Donal explained, his laughter subsiding. 

"Allow me to explain. Warning, it's a little crazy," he chuckled.

"They are a poisonous plant species that hangs from the trees and captures people by coiling them up. They squeeze the life out of you. They have mouths like Venus flytraps. The plant's toxins melt the human flesh after the vines break their bones into dust from squeezing."

Sabrina and Zorn fell into a horrified silence.

"I-I'm... sorry for accusing you," Sabrina mumbled, her cheeks flushing. 

"It's fine. I don't really care," Donal shrugged.

"What!? I care!" Khor chimed in from the background, still clearly annoyed.

Donal tilted his head, ignoring his companion. 

"You two are going to get yourselves killed in these woods. If you want to get to the nearest city, you can follow me." He smiled warmly. 

Sabrina and Zorn looked at each other. After a silent moment, they both nodded.

Khor sighed heavily, a sound far too weary for his apparent age, and jumped down from the tree.

Zorn's jaw dropped.

Khor was shorter than him! He looked to be around four foot ten!

How is someone so small, yet so intimidating?!

"We're bringing them? That means the Convert has to come, too?" Khor griped.

Sabrina gave him an annoyed expression. 

"Of course a demon like you would hate the fact I am a convert." 

Khor glared up at her, his eyes flashing with hatred.

"There is enough for me to despise about you," he said, his tone gruff and dark. 

He intentionally shoulder-checked her side as he walked ahead to stand beside Donal, crossing his arms. 

Sabrina gasped slightly and grunted with irritation. Zorn just stood there, completely confused.

His eyes trailed after Khor, lingering on his tense stride.

Why does this demon hate converts so much? Why isn't Don checking his attitude?

The questions stirred beneath the surface, pressing for answers he didn't have.

Ahead of them, Donal's voice cut through the silence, calm yet commanding, urging them forward without pause. He broke the ice by asking questions. 

"So, what are your names?"

Sabrina averted her gaze, her embarrassment from earlier still written across her face.

"Sabrina," she muttered flatly. 

Feeling it was only fair to reciprocate, since they had offered theirs.

"I'm Zorn," he said, his voice wavering and betraying the unease he tried to hide. Strangers surrounded him in an unfamiliar world, and his guard was at an all-time high. 

Donal's smile softened, as though simply hearing their names was enough to satisfy him.

Khor, however, scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You all just hand out your identity so carelessly? What if one of us can manipulate you with such simple knowledge?"

"Yeah right," Sabrina snapped, her tone dripping with attitude. 

"Stop giving them a hard time, Plush." Donal demanded, but in a lighthearted tone.

Zorn blinked in quiet surprise. Donal had actually stood up for them.

Maybe he isn't so bad after all... maybe he's just a laid-back guy.

***

They finally made it to the edge of the woods after what felt like hours of walking. The sun had died, and the moon had begun to rise.

From the tall hill they stood on, a massive kingdom sprawled out in the distance; clusters of villages surrounding a magnificent central castle. 

Zorn's eyes widened. The view was breathtaking. The atmosphere was serene, with dark, moonlit clouds stretching over the majestic scenery. Trees and grass surrounded the outer walls, and the moonlight painted everything in a silvery glow.

Donal smiled.

"This is my favorite place to be. This kingdom is called Draconia. The Land of the Moon."

"With a bunch of stuck-up dragons," Khor sneered.

Sabrina's head whipped toward Donal, her eyes flashing with anger.

"You took us to a kingdom that follows the ways of the corrupted mages?!"

Donal glanced up at her. Khor also gave her a sidelong glare.

Zorn started to worry. 

Are we safe or is it more complicated than that?

Sabrina grabbed Zorn's wrist, her grip tight. 

"I won't let you corrupt us. We're turning back."

She turned away fast, making Zorn stumble as she pulled him along.

Donal watched them, unbothered by their abrupt departure. 

Zorn's mind was going crazy.

This doesn't feel right.

"Hey, Sabrina, wait," he said, trying to dig his heels into the ground. "I think you might be a little rash. They could help us—"

"And let them taint your soul with their celestial gods' horrid ways? No. I won't let that happen." Her voice was fierce, protective. 

"If I can prevent any more victims, I can start with them not touching you."

Zorn was... touched. It was something he wasn't used to. Usually, he was the one protecting others. 

Donal's voice carried over easily to them, stopping them in their tracks.

"They'll arrest you, Sabrina."

Zorn turned his head to look at him. Donal continued casually. 

"You're in Draco territory now, which means you're under the jurisdiction of their laws."

"Why would they arrest me!?" Sabrina shouted back.

Donal's eyes shifted between Sabrina and Zorn. He was keeping it rather vague, like he didn't want to give away too much. 

"Because of a little something red," he said playfully. 

Red? Zorn wondered. 

Was it my jacket? Or... her brooch?

"Now, let him go." His tone lost its lightness, becoming a firm suggestion. 

Zorn stepped slightly in front of Sabrina, getting defensive. 

"You set us up! I can't trust you two!" he yelled.

Donal arched a brow at the accusation. 

"Really?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement. 

Khor folded his arms, unimpressed. 

"Tch. Crazy talk from someone we saved."

"All you did was redirect us in the woods. That's it—"

"The shield in the sea," Khor cut him off, his voice flat.

Zorn fell completely silent. He was thrown back in time; to the fall, the terror, and the sudden, miraculous hand of light that caught him.

"That... was you?" he whispered, his anger evaporating into stunned belief. 

Donal chuckled.

"Saw ya on one of the floating islands. Plush and I combined our powers in what's known as a synergy. My powers exalted his, reinforcing his arcana to save you."

Zorn just stood there, his worldview shifting.

Sabrina looked at him, her confusion morphing into suspicion. 

"Zorn, what are they talking about?"

He couldn't meet her eyes, staring at the ground as the pieces clicked into place.

"So, you two purposely banded together in that specific spot in the woods to... catch up with me?"

Donal snapped his fingers. His black polish glinted in the moonlight. 

"Exactly~!" He gave Zorn a wink. 

"Zorn!" Sabrina yelled, her voice laced with betrayal and rising panic. 

"Is that story you told me about how you got here actually true?!"

His eyes widened as her voice rose to a shout.

"Are you a star person?!"

Zorn's heart began to race from internal panic.

Why is she so angry? Are star people bad?

What do I say?!